Railway bearing seal case construction

ABSTRACT

1,106,584. Bearings; shaft seals. TIMKEN ROLLER BEARING CO. 2 Sept., 1966 [28 Feb., 1966], No. 39449/66. Headings F2A and F2B. A shaft bearing seal comprises a casing 27 having large, intermediate and small diameter walls 28, 30 and 32 respectively, the wall 30 being connected to the walls 28 and 32 by radial walls 29 and 31 respectively and the wall 32 terminating in an inwardly directed flange 33, shaft sealing means 34 being provided adjacent the flange 33 and extending axially therefrom a distance less than the length of the wall 32 so that the flange 31 provides an abutment for a seal removal tool T thereby permitting removal of the casing from the bearing without damaging the sealing means 34. As shown in Fig. I, a seal according to the invention is applied at each end of a roller bearing assembly for an axle journal 9, the seal casings 26 and 27 being mounted in the ends 24 and 25 of the outer bearing roll 23. The sealing means 34 comprises a sealing ring 38 bonded to a ring 35 and having two sealing lips 41 and 42, the latter being urged inwardly by a garter spring 43. A retainer ring 44 is held within the ring 35 by a rolled-over edge portion 35a of the ring 35. In a modification, Fig. 3 (not shown), the ring 35 is omitted and the sealing ring (38) is bonded to a lip (33a) of the flange (33). In a further .modification, Fig. 5 (not shown), the garter spring (43) is moulded into the sealing ring (38a).

Feb. 10, 1970 T'. c. KELLER I 3,494,682

RAILWAY BEARING SEAL CASE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 28- 1966 I V V. 12.21; g r /7 F I G. I

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,494,682 RAILWAY BEARING SEAL CASE CONSTRUCTION Thomas C. Keller, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Timken Roller Bearing Company, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Continuation of application Ser. No. 530,313, Feb. 28, 1966. This application Dec. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 781,638 Int. Cl. F16c 33/78; F16k 41/00 US. Cl. 308-1871 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A case for a roller bearing seal assembly which is constructed to be removably mounted on the roller bearing in a position such that a suitable tool may be inserted through the opening of the seal case which receives the axle for engaging an internal surface of the seal case spaced from the seal element carried by the case so that the pulling force is exerted on the seal case rather than on any component of the seal, whereby the seal is undamaged and the seal case is removed without bending so that it may be reused.

cases require the application of removal force on the seal element or the retainer for the seal element, or a special removal adapter is required in those cases where the seal is not located in a retainer or other member. It is difiicult to determine just by outward examination, whether the seal element in a seal case has been installed with or without retainer means, and as a result it is frequently found that the wrong type of removal tool has been applied so that the seal element is damaged beyond repair and reuse. These problems have existed for some time without satisfactory solutions.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to overcome the problems heretofore existing in connection with removal of bearing seals where the seal is obscured by a seal case.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unique and novel seal case construction which will avoid the necessity for providing special removal tools and will prevent damage to the seals mounted therein.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seal case construction which is considerably more rigid than prior seal cases and requires materials of less weight and thickness than heretofore.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a unique bearing seal case construction in which the case removal force is always applied directly to the seal case, thereby reducing and eliminating seal damage during the removal operations.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a seal case construction of extremely light character which will reduce the effect of vibrations and impact on seal performance by reducing the inertia effect of the seal. A pre- 3,494,682 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 ferred form of the present invention is disclosed in connection with roller bearings and comprises a seal case having an extra step formed in the periphery thereof which will practically assure complete protection to the seal element carried therein upon seal case removal. While the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail, it is understood that the objects of the present invention also reside in the parts and components hereinafter to be set forth in the accompanying specification when considered in view of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevated view through a railway bearing assembly in which the improved seal case is shown to advantage;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a seal case and seal assembled therein, the same being shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a seal case having a modified seal therein;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the improved seal case with a modified seal element therein; and

FIG. 5 is a further fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevated view of a seal case adapted for still another form of the seal element.

Referring to the view of FIG. 1. it can be seen that the axle 8 has its journal 9 projecting outwardly from a shoulder 10. The journal 9 receives a backing ring 11 which is seated against the shoulder 10. Spacer ring 12 cooperates with the backing 11 to properly position cones 13 and 14 which are spaced apart by an intermediate spacer ring 15. The cone 14 is held in position by an outer spacer ring 16, and the ring 16 is properly secured in position by the cap member 17 which is typically attached to the end of the journal 9 by screws 18. The cones 13 and 14 have suitable outer raceways to receive sets of tapered roller bearings 19 and 20, which bearings are properly spaced by the usual cages 21 and 22 respectively. Single cup 23 cooperates with the tapered roller bearings 19 and 20 in the usual manner. The cup has opposite axially extending portions 24 and 25 thereon, which project beyond the rollers 19 and 20 and furnish a suitable mounting seat for the seal case of the bearing seals.

As is shown in FIG. 1, an inner seal case 26 is mounted within the cup projection 24 and an outer seal case 27 is mounted within the axial projection 25. Except for the opposite position of the seal cases 26 and 27, these structures are identical and it will sufiice for the present disclosure to describe in particular the outer seal case 27. It is, of course, understood that reference numerals which are used to designate the various portions of the seal case 27 and the seal mounted therein will apply to similar parts and elements of the inner seal case 26.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the seal case 27 is a sheet metal stamping having a large circumferential and axially directed wall 28 which is stiffened by a radially directed wall portion 29. The seal case is, in its intermediate portion, provided with an axial wall 30 having a short radially inwardly directed step 31 which stiffens the axial wall portion 30. The axial wall 30 is of less diameter than the wall 28 and the seal case adjacent the step 31 is provided with an axial wall 32 having a radially directed end wall 33. The axial wall 32 and the end wall 33 provide an inner annular seat for a removable seal assembly 34. As shown, the seal assembly 34 3 includes a ring 35 having a radially inwardly directed flange 36 with a beveled lip 37. The lip 37 forms the mounting surface for the seal ring 38, the ring 38 having its base 39 bonded to the lip 37 in such position so that annular seal lips 41 and 42 project radially inwardly to bear upon the outer spacer ring 16 in the bearing assembly shown in FIG. 1. The seal lip 42 is provided with a garter spring retainer 43 seated on the outer periphery of the seal lip 42. The removable seal assembly also includes a retainer ring 44 which has an axially directed portion that fits Within the part 35 and is retained therein by the outer lip 35a being rolled inwardly to engage the ring 44.

In the assembly shown in FIG. 2 the axial wall portion 30 and step 31 provide extra rigidity for the seal case 27, and it can be seen that the step 31 forms an internal annular shoulder in the seal case 27 against which the case pulling tool T (shown in phantom outline) can engage when it is desirable to remove the seal case from the projection 25 of the bearing cup 23. Once the bearing assembly has been removed from the axle journal 9 it will then be possible to insert the pulling tool T and retain it against the step 31 of the seal case. The step 31 thereby prevents the tool T from engaging any portion of the removable seal assembly 34. Heretofore removal tools when inserted in the conventional type of seal case in which the axial wall 30 and step 31 were not provided, had to engage directly on the removable seal assembly which resulted in damage to, or crushing of the seal so that it could not again be used.

The view of FIG. 3 is of a modified seal case 27a being used to carry a modified seal assembly 46. In this view the modified seal case 2711: is provided with the axial portion 28 having a radial wall 29 followed by the axial wall 30 and radial step portion 31. The axial wall 32 of least diameter is provided with the end wall 33 having its radially inward lip 3311 which receieves the seal ring 38 in bonded relation. The lip 33:: is formed directly on the seal case 27a instead of, as shown in FIG. 2, having the beveled lip 37 on the flange 36 of the retainer 35. The seal ring 38 is, in all respects, similar to that'shown in FIG. 2 and is provided with the retainer ring 44 which will prevent the garter spring 43 from working loose and getting into the bearing assembly. It can be seen that the seal case removal tool T can be positioned against the step 31 without any danger of engaging the seal assembly 46.

In the view of FIG. 4, the modified seal case 2712 as shown in FIG. 3 is again utilized, but in this case the retainer ring 44 has been eliminated so that the seal ring 39 is bonded to the lip 33a of the case end wall 33 and is in a position unprotected by a retainer ring such as the ring 44 shown in FIG. 3. Here again the removal tool T engages the step 31 and there is no fear of the tool engaging the seal ring 38 to damage the same.

A still [further modified arrangement is shown in FIG. in which the seal case 27a has its lip 33a bonded to the seal ring 38a. The seal ring 38a is modified from those previously described in that the garter spring 43 is now molded into the seal ring 38 and is therefore engaged in part 38b of the seal ring and does not require the use of a retainer ring such as is shown at 44 in FIG. 2 or 3.

It can be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure of certain preferred embodiments of the present railway bearing seal case construction that conventional seal rings are bonded to a part of the seal case or the removable seal assembly in such a position that the case provides a step 31 to be engaged by a seal case pulling tool. The step 31 in the seal case 27 or 27a greatly enhances the rigidity of the seal case which reduces or minimizes the effect of vibrations and impact on the performance of the seal ring 38 or 38a. The increased rigidity of the seal case provided with the step 31 permits the forming of the seal case from stock of greatly reduced thickness as opposed to conventional seal cases. The reduction of thickness reduces cost and the weight of the resulting seal assembly, and the reduced weight has the good advantage of reducing or minimizing the effect of vibrations and impact on the seal ring. It also increases the performance and reliability of the seal ring by reducing the inertia effects of the seal ring. It is noted that the removable seal assembly 34 or the modified seal assembly 46 includes certain retainer rings which are made of sheet material of lesser thickness or gage than the seal case. This reduced thickness of the parts directly adjacent the seal ring has been the cause of damage to the seal by force applied by conventional seal case removal tools. The seal case step 31 will eliminate the problems heretofore arising and will no longer require removal tools to be placed against the seal in the case during removal of the seal case. A further advantage of the present seal case construction is that the step 31 will permit the use of a standard removal tool T and will avoid the necessity for careful inspection of the bearing assembly to determine what type of seal removal tool would be required. This, therefore, eliminates the inadvertent use of incorrect pulling tools and the resultant prevention of destruction or damage to the seal rings.

There has been set forth above certain preferred embodiments of the present roller bearing seal case construction, but it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be suggested to those skilled in this art, and it is the purpose to cover such changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of an axle journal tapered roller bearing having a cup with an enlarged diameter end portion extending axially beyond the tapered rollers and a removable axle journal seal device carried by said cup end portion comprising a cupped seal case having an enlarged diameter 'wall at one end and a reduced diameter wall at the opposite end, the reduced diameter wall terminating in a radially inwardly directed end wall, said seal case having axially and radially directed wall portions intermediate said enlarged diameter wall and said reduced diameter wall, said radially directed wall portion being spaced outwardly of said cone end by said axial wall portion and providing an internal shoulder in said seal case formed by the radially directed surface within said seal case, and shaft seal means positioned in said seal case between said internal shoulder clear of said radially directed surface and said inwardly directed end wall, the radially directed surface of said internal shoulder being axially spaced from said enlarged diameter cup end to form a radially enlarged space unobstructed by said seal means for engagement by a seal pulling tool.

2. In the combination of an axle journal tapered roller bearing having a cone with an enlarged diameter end portion extending axially beyond the tapered rollers and a removable shaft seal the improvement of: an outer seal case having a multi-stepped sidewall with exterior and interior surfaces and including a large diameter axial wall, an intermediate diameter axial wall, a small diameter axial wall, a first radial wall connecting said large and intermediate diameter axial walls, a second radial wall axially spaced from said first radial wall and connecting said intermediate and small diameter axial walls, said first and second radial walls being axially olfset by said intermediate diameter axial wall, said intermediate diameter wall forming an annular step in the interior surface of the seal case, a flange inturned from the end of said small diameter axial wall, and seal ring means disposed in said seal case and mounted adjacent said inturned flange end, said seal ring extending axially inwardly of the seal case from said flanged end a distance less than the axial length of said small diameter axial wall, and said second radial wall being spaced from said enlarged diameter cone end by substantially the length of said intermediate axial wall to form a space open both radially and axially within said seal case so as to be unobstructed by the enlarged diameter end of 6 3,004,298 10/1961 Haynie.

wall for engagement by a shaft seal pulling tool.

said cone and the interior surface of said second radial 3,363,952 1/ 1968 Paterson.

FOREIGN PATENTS References CW1 5 112,866 1/1918 Great Britain.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gebert et a1. Johnson et a1. Bowen.

277 Peck et a1. 10 50 

